In many well completions a casing is run into the well after it is drilled. Cement is then pumped into the annulus between the casing and the wellbore wall. The casing and cement is then perforated at the desired formation. By perforating the cemented and sealed casing, isolation of the desired zone is maintained.
A significant number of wells are completed with perforated liners without any cement to bond the liner to the wellbore. The annulus between the liner and the wall of the wellbore may then be left empty or packed with gravel. Although slotted liners serve a purpose, they do not provide zonal isolation and permit fluid to flow in the annulus along the length of the liner. Typically, at some point in the well's life, it is desired to provide zonal isolation in the well for selective treatment of a zone or to prevent encroachment of an undesired fluid.
Therefore, it is a desire to provide a system and method for placing a substantially circumferential seal about a perforated liner. It is a still further desire to provide a method of creating zonal isolation about a perforated liner that is cost effective.